


Could It Be Another Change?

by sassy_curmudgeon



Category: MMFD, My Mad Fat Diary
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-12
Updated: 2014-04-12
Packaged: 2018-01-19 03:06:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1453123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassy_curmudgeon/pseuds/sassy_curmudgeon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Rae never drank the beer at Finn's house and never had to go home? (Pre-S2, one shot, noncanon)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Could It Be Another Change?

Finn heard the knock on the front door and took a deep breath, smoothing his hair and hoping his face wasn’t too red. He was thrilled to bits; Rae was here and soon he would have her all to himself, in his bedroom! His dad was home but Finn had already warned him beforehand not to come disturb him. He was going to listen to music with one of his best mates, Finn had said smoothly, and they needed to focus because Finn needed her input to make some wicked mixtapes. His dad’s face had been almost too innocent as he had agreed.

He turned now to nervously look at his parent.

“I mean it, dad. Don’t  _forget_ to tell me something and then barge right in to my bedroom.”

His father nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah, son. You will be wanting yer privacy with Rae.”

Finn could feel his face burn at the implication. “No…” he stammered, swallowing and breaking eye contact. “it’s not like we need to be alone, it’s just…”

“Yes?”

“She’s shy.”

His dad scrutinized the boy and shrugged. “Didn’t sound like it from your description. Doesn’t she down snake bites and joke and swear? Thought she would be the life of the party, that one. A right laugh.”

Finn felt a warmth pool in his belly as he recalled her infectious laugh.  _I’ve got it bad._ “She is, dad. She’s…. perfect.”

Another persistent knock sounded through the house and Finn waved his dad away, despite his protests and obvious burning curiosity. “Please, dad, just… make yourself some tea or summit, alright? She don’t need a bloody welcoming committee.”

The shaggy haired man’s face cracked into a grin before he headed quickly to the kitchen.

Finn yanked the door open, a blinding grin on his face. “Hey Rae-“

What the  _fuck?_

Chloe traipsed into his house (uninvited, mind you) and gushed a greeting, throwing her arms around him and giving a quick squeeze. Finn tensed.

“Chloe… hey. What are- er- what’s up? What are you doing here?” Finn had never been known for his gift of gab or word choice.  _What the fuck, Chloe_.  _You’re ruining everything._

She smiled widely and planted a hand on her hip, declaring she couldn’t resist the thought of listening to reggae and “decent music, ya know?”. Finn’s eyes wandered only once to her bare legs before lifting a brow, confused at it all. Decent music? Chloe’s taste was decidedly Top 40. Not that there was anything wrong with that, per se.  

“Hello, Rae!” his dad said jovially, coming out of the kitchen and extending a hand, “finally we meet! My son has done naught but talk about you every ruddy minute of every single day.” Finn felt his ears burn as he hissed the correction at his dad.   _I told him to stay away,_ Finn thought unhappily.

Chloe’s face dropped comically at the exchange.

“Chloe, eh?” his dad chortled and looked at the teenage girl thoughtfully, “Can’t say my son has mentioned you.”

She swallowed and smiled bravely, commenting on the beautiful house and architecture. Finn’s dad nodded pleasantly and cocked his head to the side.

“So, when is Rae coming, then?”

Chloe shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Hmm. Finn, why didn’t ya tell me there would be  _two_  lasses here today? I would have made some biscuits or rang your mum at work to see about making that Battenberg cake ya like so much-”

“Oh, Finn didn’t know,” Chloe explained quickly, “I just wanted to surprise him, ya know? I-I just love music and-“

“Let’s go upstairs, yeah?” Finn muttered, feeling bad tempered. Chloe turned on her heel and disappeared up the stairs in a flurry of footsteps, Finn following a few moments later.

He heard his dad chortle in amusement. “Wait till I tell yer mother about this…”

Finn glared at the older man.

______________________________________________________

Around an hour later, Finn felt worlds better. Rae finally arrived and he the three had settled into his bedroom. When it had just been himself and Chloe he had felt awkward, especially with her veritable lack of knowledge of any kind of decent music. He was also uncomfortable at how she had flung herself on his bed, draping her legs all over the place.  _What is she doing?_

Rae was therefore compelled to sit on a chair by the window, absently turning a rubiks cube in her hand as they attempted lighthearted conversation.

This wasn’t going according to plan, he was supposed to begin the process of wooing Rae with music and gestures. He would have sat beside her on the bed, spelling out messages and lyrics, until the final song that he had chosen last night with extreme care. Their eyes would have locked, and then their lips would have met for their first of many snogs.

Finn cleared his throat and put on the first record he had chosen, reggae as he had promised. Bob Marley’s lilting voice singing “Is This Love?” filled the room and Finn turned to look at Rae, smiling faintly, hoping that she was beginning to feel the message.

Of course she wasn’t. The two girls were glaring at each other with icy looks. The frigidity in their eyes was so strong that even he felt it.

_I’m willing and able, so I throw my cards on the table… I wanna love you every day and every night… we’ll share the shelter yeah,of my single bed…_

Finn winced. It wasn’t working, and Chloe’s presence had put a damper on everything. Still, Finn surged onward with his plan. Maybe Chloe would grow bored and leave in a bit, he thought hopefully.

He casually passed some beers around, and was surprised when Rae turned hers down flatly without offering an explanation. Even as Chloe took shots at her, calling Rae “weird and boring’, Rae didn’t budge.

“I said no, alright? I don’t feel like drinking any bloody beer today. So stop banging on about it, Chloe!”

Finn turned around with a smile. His next vinyl choice was a bit riskier, the song was heavy and screamed obsessive love, but it was The Smiths. You couldn’t go wrong with them.

_.._   _take me out tonight because I want to see people and I want to see life, driving in your car  
oh, please don’t drop me home because it’s not my home, it’s their home, and I’m welcome no more..and if a double decker bus crashes into us, to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die…_

Morrisey knew what it felt like, to feel this sick with longing over a girl. Unfortunately, though Rae was bobbing her head to the lyrics and occasionally throwing small smiles to Finn, he knew that she wasn’t happy about Chloe being there. He wondered what was going on; he knew that the girls’ friendship was… dynamic at best. They had blowouts and then reconciled days later, both of them smiling with relief whenever they inevitably made up. And then, after a few days it would begin anew. Chloe quietly seething over the lads’ overwhelming fondness over her friend, Rae’s frustration would mount and her disdain would hit dangerous levels at something stupid Chloe would say.

Finn usually shrugged philosophically rather than try to understand the confusing world of girls, but this was different. This tension involved him somehow, and Finn could not understand how or why.

He hurriedly turned to pick up the next record but was robbed of the chance when his bedroom door crashed open and his father staggered in with an enormous tray. Finn watched in abject horror as the encumbered tray tipped precariously before his dad righted it.

“Dad! What,’ he asked cautiously, “what are you.. what is all this?”

His father rested the tray on his desk, wiping his forehead and beaming at them all.

“Sorry to disturb you lot, but I spoke for a bit with Rae when she was looking for the toilet. She mentioned she wasn’t drinking and that she had skipped lunch so I thought I would fix you all something right quick.!” He smiled amiably around at everyone, eyes lingering on Chloe’s strategic location on his son’s bed.

Finn shook his head mutely, embarrassed at his eccentric father but use to it by now. Chloe looked like she was stifling a laugh, but Finn notice’s Rae’s smile was more genuine.

“Thank you, Mr. Nelson” she rose with alacrity and sauntered over to the man with an impish grin. “This all looks delicious! Tea sounds brilliant and- are those currant cakes?”

He beamed at her. “Call me Robert, lass. Do you like them?”

Chloe sat up with a gasp. “Oh my God, I love them, too!”

Finn looked up in time to see Rae give her famous eye roll, shaking her head.  

Satisfied with his handiwork, Finn’s father left the room with a friendly wave, still reserving his warmest smile for the dark haired girl.

_______________________________________________________

Chloe had drank a lot of beer, Finn noticed with worry. He wondered if she would puke or do something else that was gross.

It was now close to 8pm and the teens had spent hours in the bedroom, listening to music, talking awkwardly, and devouring the tea, biscuits, cakes and treacle tart that Finn’s dad had somehow conjured up.

Chloe still hadn’t given up her seat on his bed but she looked fatigued and bored, thumbing through whatever music magazine she could find. She had stopped pretending to like the music somewhere between the Cure and Daft Punk.

Finn was sitting on the floor by his music collection, looking at Rae as she tucked her feet under her. The sun was dying in the horizon and rays that passed through the window turned strands of her hair warm brown. Finn swallowed as his throat became dry.

He knew she was going to leave soon and he would lose his chance, since Chloe had failed to bugger off. Finn knew there were other days, they were still on holiday from school. Today was special, though. He had felt it. He had planned everything down to the last detail and it all had turned to shit, beginning with Rae coming in and finding her scantily dressed best friend lounging on his bed. He didn’t want to miss this chance with her, he needed to tell her what was on his mind. That he wished he could take back his rudeness to her when they had first met, how he thought she was beautiful, witty, bold and funny. He wanted to tell her that somewhere during these dizzying days of summer, music and parties, he had fallen for her hard and he didn’t feel he could right himself again.

Chloe stood up with a grumble and muttered she was going to nip in to the toilet quickly. They were left alone very suddenly.

Finn looked at his hands and then up at her, as usual the words dying in his throat. He shook his head in mute frustration.

_Now,_ he ordered to himself roughly.  _Now!_

Finn stood up silently, turning to pick up the record he had chosen for the occasion, his offering to Rae. He had sat through hours the previous night poring over all of his mix tapes, records and CD’s; his magazines, cut out articles and even some lame books Archie had given him. Nothing. He had ruled out Oasis and other favorite’s bands of theirs because she already knew them all. Finally Finn had found a vinyl in his closet that he had forgotten he had. Beaten, dusty….  _Perfect._ The lyrics filled him and were exactly what he was looking for.

Now, Finn’s hands shook as he put the record on before turning to the girl he was in love with.

“Rae, sit next to me, yeah?”

They both sat down on the empty bed, hands folded on their laps.  She stared at him with a faint, fey smile on her pretty lips, eyes curious. Not understanding, and yet…

He worldlessly took her hand and caressed her palm, noting the faint tremor that went through her. His finger spelled out a single word on her flesh as the music began-

_Listen_

The pair sat in silence, Finn sometimes tracing lyrics as he watched the words sink into her.

_…the only time I feel good falling_  
is when I’m falling fast and hard for you  
I can’t tell if you are stalling  
so if you are please tell me what to do  
the only time I feel good sinking  
is when I’m sinking fast and deep for you  
you caught me when I was winking  
now I think my winking days are through…

Finn dragged a finger on her wrist, his heart pounding as he began to write out his final declaration.

_I…_

_L…_

He didn’t even recall what happened next exactly, just that their lips crashed together before he could finish. He took it as Rae’s way of saying that she knew. Everything else seemed so far away at that point, the music, the night, he even faintly heard the sound of Chloe’s startled gasp. But what he felt was the girl before him, her sweet smelling hair, her lips, her eyes and smile and happiness that she poured from herself into him.

He felt his dad’s presence loom into the background, heard his dad’s whisper to Chloe, could sense the underlying sympathy,

“Come on, I’ll drive ya home, lass.”

 _____________________________________________________

Song is “Could It Be Another Change?” by The Samples.

I don’t dislike Chloe, in fact I don’t get the hatred. She’s a teenage girl and what that Stephen guy did to her was traumatizing. I hope you all like it!

 


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